Method of operating multistage prime motors.



P. G. SCHMIDT.

METHOD OF OPERATING MULTISTAGE PRIME MOTORS.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

2 SHEBT$SHEET l.

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GHQ mugs APPLICATION FILED MAY 11,1908.

flzflijk witnesses P. G. SCHMIDT.

METHOD OF OPERATING MULTISTAGB PRIME MOTORS. l

APPLICATION FILED MAY 11, 1908. I

Patented Aug. 10, 1909. 2SHBETS-SHBET 2.

Gwen/n1;

' witnesses PETER G. SCHMIDT, OF TUMWATER, WASHINGTON.

METHOD OF OPERATING MULTISTAGE PRIME MOTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 10, 1909.

Application filed May 11, 1908. Serial No. 432,143.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER G. SCHMIDT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tumwater, in the county of Thurston and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Method of Operating Multistage Prime Motors, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to the operation of multi-stage prime motors.

One object of the invention is to rovide, an improved method'of utilizing fluid pressures, however produced, to actuate .the motor elements of a multi-stage prime motor.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus to be actuated by such improved method.

A third object of the invention isto provide a cooling means for the fluid medium which will operate with the minimum efficiency loss.

In the operation of multi-stage prime motors heretofore, it has been proposed to produce a .series of different pressures, each adapted to o erate one of the motor elements of a mu ti-stage motor, as in those explosion engines where each of the motor elements is a tuated by an explosion of differ.- ent intensi y produced by either varying the quantity or quality of the explosive medium, or by varying the degree of compression before explosion;. or a. certain substantially constant fluid pressure has been produced and a single portion of the fluid used successively in the different motor elements in the manner common in compound steam, engines.

This invention consists in first producing a single fluid pressure of the requisite degree and subtractingsuceessive decrements of the pressure and actuating the successive motor elements of a multi-stage prime motor, each successive decrement being employed first to actuate a separate one of the successive motor elements, although the energy of such dec-v rement may be utilized not only in the mo,- tor element to which thedecrement is first conducted, but in other motor elements of lower stage.

The invention further consists in the method of cooling the fluid under pressure by the introduction of a suitable fluid into the pressure decrement at a temperature apenergy due to the change in condition of the fluid (as, for instance, by the introduction of water at a temperature approximating 790 C. absolute or 516 C.'thermometric). It is to be understood, however, that in the specific instance of using water the temperature will only be ap roximated as in that case the pressure deve oped would approach 3400 pounds per square inch, an obviously inconvenient one to handle. If, however, water at about 450 C. be used for cooling, the resultant pressure is found to be within practical limits.

The invention still further consists in apparatus for the production of such results,

here shown as a form of multi-stage prime motor provided with certain elements adapted to operate in the foregoing manner.

In the drawings, like characters of reference are used toindicate the same part in the several views, and Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of one form of apparatus adapted to be used in this connection, this being a multi-stage double acting reciprocatory motor. Fig. 2 is a similar diagram of another form of apparatus, there being indicated a multi-stage rotary motor or turbine.

It is to be understood that the devices thus represented are typical of a variety of devices which may be used in connection with ing fluid pressures here illustrated, there are shown types of multi-stage prime motors having successive motor elements which are, in Fig. 1, reoiprocatory and, in Fig. 2, rotary. There is, however, no difference in the mode of operation whether all the elements be reciprocatory, all rotary, or part reciprocatory and part rotary. Thisbeing the case, the

-motor elements have the same reference character in all views, the successive elemerits bein designated by the characters C C and the types shown being three stage in character.

At 10 inthe drawings is indicated an air com ressor and at 11 a gas compressor supplied with gas from any suitable source, and

this invention, as, for instance, the air and gas compressors may be replaced by a steam these'are connected by suitable pipes to pressure chambers 12 and 13. control-the admission of air to these chambers and valves 1.6 and 17 the admission of gas. Connecting these chambers andthe motor elements are pressure pipes 18, 19 and 20 leadin res ectively, to the elements C, C and alves 21, 22 and 23 in the chamber'12 and valves 24, 25 and 26 in the chamber 13 control the flow of fluid pressure through'these pipes, valves 21 and 24 controlling pipe 18, valves 22 and 25 controlling pipe 19, and valves 23 and 26 controlllng ipe 20. The admisslon to and exhaust iirom the motor elements may be further controlled by means of suitable valves located in valve chests on the motor elements or by other arrangements such as piston controlled port s. In Fig. 1 of the present arran ement, there is shown a method of control or double actin reciprocatory motors, the same being t e common D-valve and the valves for the successive elements are .lIlCllcated at 27, 28 and 29, being intended to t pify any form of valve control at-the motor elements. 7 Actuated by 1, suitable valve operating means, such as eccentrics 31, 32 and 33 arranged to operate, respectively, the valves 27, 28 and 29. These eccentrics are so arranged as to operate the valves in succession in the manner common to this class of devices.

Leading from the motor elements are 'exhaust pipes34, 35, and 36, the exhaust pipe 34 communicating. preferably wlth the pressure pipe 19, 35 in like manner being connected to the pressure pipe 20. The exhaust pipe 36 has connected thereto exhaust pipes 37 and 38 from the chambers 12 and '13, respectively, the exhaust from these chambers being controlled by valves 39 and 40, respectively. The exhaust pipe 36 1s then continued, as shown at 41, to a water heater 42.

The numeral 43 indicates a shaft actuated preferably from the main shaft by means of any suitable driving or motion communicating mechanism,-as at 44, by which the speed of rotation of the shaft 43 is timed to accord with that of the main'shaft. The shaft 43 is preferably termed a cam shaft, and is as indicated at 45, there being in the present instance twelve of these cams so arranged as to actuate the valves in the manner hereinafter described.

In the chambers 12 and 13, there are spark Valves 14 and 15 the water jacket 56.

the motor elements is shown apowershaft 3O Whereon is mounted, in Fig.

rovided with valve'operating cams, or the ike The shaft 52 is arranged to rotate at a suitable speed so that the cams held thereon may move in proper timed relation to the engine cycle. It is obvious that a variety of mechanisms may be used to accomplish this'purpose and the gearing 53 of the diagram is intended to represent any such mechanism.

The motor elements are j acketed, as shown respectively at 54, 55 and 56, and the pressure chambers as at 57 and 58. Suitable pipes 59 connect these various jackets.

At 60 is indicated a source of cold water supply and a pipe 61 extends therefrom to a circulating pump 62. In the line of the pipe 61 is. a force pump 63 controlled by a thermostat preferably located in the jacket of the explosion chambers as indicated at 64. From the Water jacket 58 a pipe 65 is carried to the intake of the pump 62 and the outlet of said pump is connected by a pipe 66 with The pipe 66 is provided with a branch 67 running to the inlet of the heater '42.. v

From the heater 42 extends a pipe 68 provided with a series of injection nozzles 69 extending into-the pressure supply pi es adjacent the valves of the pressure cii Each of thesesup ly ipes is'provided with a valve 70 control ed y a thermostat 71 located in the pressure supply pipe wherein the res ective nozzle is held.

11 the heater at 72 is provided a safety valve and the final exhaust is indicated at 73. In describing the method 10f operation, it is assumed that the pressure chamber 12 has been charged and the charge just exploded. There is thus produced in. that chamber a fluid pressure, the mixture and degree of compression of the charge being arranged so that the produced pressure is somewhat greater than that required in the. high pressure element. ,As it ispossible under some conditions to operate without the use of the injection water, the method of o eration will first be described as using only the, fluid ressure roduced in the chamber. Things eing in t e state above mentioned, the high pressure motor element 0 will be at the beginning of its cycle, the element C will have passed through two thirds of its cycle and the element C through five sixths of its cycle. The valves 14 and 16 leading to the compressors will be closed, as will the valves 22 and 23 leading to the motor-elements C? and C and the valve 39 leading to the ex ambers.

fluid under pressure is allowed to pass therethrough to the pipe 18 and from thence to the motor element 0, the valve at this element being arranged to permit the fluid to actuate the motor element. The motor element C is thus caused to begin movement. When the motor element 0 has completed one sixth of its cycle, the other motor ele ments will have also progressed one sixth,

so that the element is now at the start of 1 opened. A third decrement of the fluid will decrement otilfluid .under pressure.

now begin to actuate the element C In the meantime, in the pressure chamber 13 the valve actions have been as follows. Through- .out the operations just described ,the valves At the 24, 25 and 26 have remained closed, start the valve 40 has been open. This valve has closed at-an early period, the timing of which will be understood when it is explained what follows the closing of valve 23 in chamber 12. The valves 15 and 17 have both remained open from the start, and the chamber 13 is now filled with a compressed explosive mixture. :As the element 0 finishes one half of-its cycle, valve 23 is closed and valves 14, 16 and 39 in chamber 12 are opened. At the same time, valves 15' and 17 are closed in'chamber 13. As this is accomplished, the switch 50 is closed and the charge exploded, producing a body of fluid under pressure in chamber 13. It should be noted that the cams 51 are so arranged as to close the switches and immediately thereafter open them. By the continued action of the cams valve 24' is now opened and the motor element C supplied with a second When this element as completed two thirds of its cycle, the valve 24 is closed and the valve25 is opened to supply motor'element C with its second portion. Meanwhile, the exhaust from C passes through pi e 34 to mingle with the second decrement 01m the ressure chamber and assists the actionof suc decrement in the motor element Ci. In like man ner, a third decrement is next supplied to C being mixed with the exhaust from C As the motor element C completes its cycle, valve-26 is closed, the exhaust from C assing out by the pipe 36. While this has een in progress, the entering fresh air. and gas in chamber 12 have swept the remainder of the exploded charge out of that chamber, and upon the cbmpletion of the passage of this remainder, the valve '39 has closed. The cycle is then completed by the closing of the valves 14 and '16 and the switch 49;

While the foregoing has been described as operating Without the use of injection water,

it is usually preferable to employ steam to assist in the actuation of the motor elements andto keep down the temperature, and to this endthe method now to be referred to is employed.

prime motor whic the initial pressure supplfy The motor being in motion and the pump in operation, circulation will be set up,

the Water will no longer have the roper cooling efi'ect. The thermostat64 W1 lthen open the valve of the force pump 63 so as to permit the influx of cooling water. Further, the

explosions in the chambers 12 and. 13 produce a high tem erature in the contents and as the gases 'rus out through the varlous valves, the valves and pipes become 1ntensely heated unless means are provided to reduce the temperature. To. do this without the usual loss of efliciency in explosive engine jacketing it becomes necessary to employ a cooling liquid reviously heated to such a degree that thel ergy will not be abnormally large as would be the case were cold water employed. As the cold water is introduced, a portion of the heated water is passed throughthe heater 42 and thence to the nozzles'69. Now, as the gases pass out through one of the various valves, the thermostat in the pipe leading from that valve will operate, under the influence of the heat, to open its valve and will remain operative until the gases have been cooled to the required temperature. As the valve opens, the hot water is forced through the nozzle and is at once converted into steam. Now, if this be done at a point where the pressure is, say, 500 pounds e square inch and the water about 470 C the resultant loss of energy will be negligible. Further, if water at this temperature be introduced where the pressure is lower there will still be less loss of efiiciency, and the water expanding into steam will do useful work.

It Will be noted that, by the peculiar method of heating the water and utilizing the g same, the greater portion ofthe heat ener -lost by the gases 1n cooling throughout 1; e system is absorbed by the cooling fluid and again utilized in the system by the expansion ofthe cooling fluid. I

, What is claimed is i 1. That method of utilizing a fluid-under pressure in the ogerati on of a 'multi-stage consists in. subtracting separate portions of such fluid pressure and conducting the same to the successive elementsof the motor, each successive portion having a decremental pressure, and renewing termined by the cycle motor.v

2'. That method of operating multi-stage operation of the oss of enat intervals de- &

prime motors which consists in the successive productions of pressure in a closed chamber at predetermined intervals with relation to the 'cycle of operation of the motor, and the utilization of such pressure by subtracting successive portions of the contents of said chamber and actuating thereby the successive motor elements of the prime motor, each successive portion having a decremental pressure.

3. 'The method of operating rime motors which consists in the periodica ignition of a combustible medium to roduce successive pressures in a-closed cham er and the utilizaber and actuating thereby the successive motor elements of a multi-st'age motor, each successive portion having a decremental pressure. a

4. The method of operating prime motors which consists in the compression of a-com bustible medium, the igmtion of such medium in a closed chamber at predetermined intervals with relation to .and timed by the motor, and the utilization of fluid pressure thus produced by subtracting successive por tions of the contents of said chain-ber and actuatin thereby the successive motor elements 0 a multi-stage prime motor, each successive portion having a decremental pressure.

5. The method of operating prime motors which consists in the compression of a combustible medium, the ignition of suchmedium in a closed chamber, the utilization of the fluid pressure thus produced by subtracting successive portions of the contents of said chamber, each successive portion having a decremental pressure cooling said ing a decremental pressure cooling said portions by the introduction of water at a temperature above that required to produce the pressure to be utilized, and actuating thereby the successive motor elements of a multistage prime motor.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER G. SOHM-IDT.

Witnesses:

I. N. GILLIS, J. M. WALKER. 

